Pirates Finish Weekend on Positive Note

Portland, ME â The Pirates have begun the slow climb back to the top of the Atlantic Division, beating the Manchester Monarchs 4-1 in front of 4,344 at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Pirates handed the Monarchs their first regulation loss in seven games with the help of Michael Wall, who played brilliant again stopping 23 shots for the win.

âI wasnât happy with one goal in Springfield, other than that I thought he had a [very good] weekend,â? said Piratesâ coach Kevin Dineen. âHeâs a kid thatâs had some great instruction, has faced a lot of NHL shots, heâs been well-schooled and now itâs time for him to put [that knowledge] to work. Heâs got to do exactly what he did this weekend. You can do all the practice you want, but now heâs got to put it together in a game.â?

The Monarchs are not known for fighting as they rank near the bottom of the league in fighting majors, however, one wouldnât know the difference as just four seconds into the game, Zenon Konopka and Monarchsâ forward Tim Jackman dropped the gloves, setting the tone for the match.

âThere a team thatâs not going to fight with us, weâll fight any team in the league,â? said Curtis Glencross. âThey [Manchester] just know there not going to get away with stuff.â?

Despite, jawing amongst the players, a hockey game had to be played. Patrick OâSullivan had the first good chance to score as Piratesâ defenseman Brian Salcido bobbled the puck at the blueline, OâSullivan skated the length of the ice only to be stopped by Wall with a quick flash of the right leg pad.

Much like the first period, Curtis Glencross and John Zeiler would renew acquaintances as both were whistled for fighting just three seconds into the second period.

At 13:24, Drew Miller scored his fifth of the season, snapping a 21 game goal-scoreless drought. Brett Skinner fired a harmless shot on net, Monarchsâ goaltender Jason LaBarbera made the stop, but left a rebound as Miller took several whacks before lifting it over LaBarberaâs head to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, Noah Clarke tied the game for the Monarchs, taking the cross-ice feed from Gabe Gauthier, beating Michael Wall with a one timer from the right face-off circle with 3:33 left in the period.

In the third period, the Pirates regained the lead as Curtis Glencross scored his third goal of the weekend. Ryan Carter fired the puck on LaBarbera, but again like the first goal, gave up a rebound to the slot. Glencross didnât hesitate, spinning around to his backhand, sliding the puck into the net at 1:48 of the period.

âWhat can I say, they say that they come in bunches when they come so I hope they come in bunches for a while,â? said Glencross.

Dineen echoed that statement, but knows there is still work to be done.

âCurtis has really had an up-and-down season,â? said Dineen. âThis weekend was a real high for him and [yet] heâs had some real low-lows. He played a [good] hockey game this weekend. In saying that, heâs going to come in and we are going to do a video review about some of his board work that I still have better expectations with.â?

Late in the third period, the Pirates added two empty-net goals as Ryan Shannon scored his second goal since being assigned to Portland. In three games, Shannon has six points (2 goals, 4 assists). Ryan Carter put the game out of reach with ten seconds left in the game.

Monarchsâ goaltender Jason LaBarbera faced 36 shots, stopping 34 in the loss, keeping Manchester in the game for the most part.

Plank Notes:

Ian Moran was a healthy scratch for the third straight game; heâs currently in the process of deciding his future and has returned home to Boston.

âHeâs mulling over his future right now. Heâs had discussions with [Anaheim GM] Brian Burke yesterday and we should have a resolution to the situation by Tuesday,â? said Dineen.

Greg Amadio, in his second game continued to look more comfortable with his linemates on the ice. Not known as a scorer, heâs impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic.

âWe like his intensity and his try,â? said Dineen. âThat is the one thing we asked for and heâs had a good strong weekend, we need that kind of play out of our backside.â?

Amadio, aware of his role within the club appears to fit into the need of the Pirates as a result of the recent call up of Kent Huskins and trade of Bruno St. Jacques.

âIâm getting to know the guys, I just try to do the same thing Iâve always done in this league,â? said Amadio. âI really worked at the beginning of the year trying to improve my foot speed and trying to keep the gap close on the opposing teamâs forwards.â?